Kamishibai: A Gift From Heaven

むかし、しょうじきもののおじいさんがいました。

ある日のこと、むこうの山をながめると、「はて、ふもとからけむりが三すじのぼっている。なにがあるのかな？

そこでおじいさんは、けむりの出ているところをほってみました。

「いや、かめが出てきたぞ。いったいなにがはいっているんじゃろう？」ふたをあけてみると、

「わあ！お金じゃ、お金じゃ！」

かめの中には、ピカピカとひかりかがやく大ばん、金のお金がいっぱいです。

「そういえば、ゆうべ天から大ばん小ばんがキラキラふってくる、ふしぎなゆめをみた。でも、きょううのは土の中から出たのじゃから、ゆめとはなしがちがうず。さあて、どうしたものかな？」

しょうじきもののおじいさんは、かんがえこんでしまいました。そして、「これは、わしがもううものではないにちがいない。」

そういうと、

「よし。もとのようにうめてしまおう。それがいい、それがいい。」かめをうずめてしまいました。そして、となりのよくのふかいおじいさんに、このはなしをしました。

「おじいさん、おじいさん。きょう、ふしぎなけむりが出ているところがあってな、そこをほったら、大ばん小ばんがいっぱいはいったかめが出てきたんじゃ。」

「そりゃあすごい。で、どうした？」

「もとのとおりうめてきた。」

「なんだって！もったいない。なんでそんなことをしたんだい？」

「きのうのゆめでは天からキラキラ。きょうは土の中からキラキラ。どうもはなしがちがうのでな。」

「まったくおしいことをしたもんだ。もってきてしまえばいいものを。」

よくのふかいおじいさんは、それはそれはざんねんにおもいました。

そして、

「よしっ、それならわしが、もらってきてしまおう。なーに、ゆめとちがうといったって、わしはゆめなんてみていないから、土の中だろうが天だろうが、かまいやしない。」

そんなことをいって、さっそくくわをかついで出かけました。

「あったあった。さあ、これだ。大ばん小ばんがキーラキラ。」

よくのふかいおじいさんは、大よろこびで、ほり出したかめのふたをとりました。

「わあーっ！なんだ、これはっ。」

なんと、かめの中は、へびやかえる、なめくじ、さわるのもきたないむしけらばかりです。

「あのじいさんめ！しょうじきもののくせに、こんなうそをついて、とくもわしをだましたな。よーし、おぼえておけ。」

そのばんのことです。とくのふかいおじいさんは、かめをかかえて、こっそりしょうじきなおじいさんのいうのやねうらにのぼりました。

そして、

「さあ、おじいさん、天からのおくりものだぞー。」

大きなこえでそういうと、へびやかえる、なめくじを下へなげこみました。

しょうじきじいさんがてんじょいをみあげると、ふしぎなことに、へびやかえるやなめくじが、キラキラひかる大ばん小ばんになって、ふってくるではありませんか。

「おお、ほんにこれは、天からのおくりものじゃ。ありがたやありがたや。」

しょうじきじいさんは、天からのおくりものに、おれいをいいましたとさ。

A gift From Heaven

A long time ago, there lived an honest old man.

(the old man)

One day, he gazed beyond the mountain and said, “Oh no! There are three lines of smoke rising from the foot of the mountain. Is there something over there?”

The old man went to the spot where he had seen the smoke and began to dig.

(the old man)

“Oh my! There is a pot here! What in the world could be inside it?”

He tried to open it and exclaimed,

“Wow! There is money inside! Money!”

Inside the pot there were shiny coins. Large coins, small coins. It was full of golden money.

“Actually, I remember having a strange dream last that sparkling large coins and small coins fell from heaven. But today, because the money appeared inside the ground, the dream is different. Well, how did it get here?”

The honest old man thought very hard about it and said, “This must not have been left for me.”

So, with that conclusion he said, “Alright. I will bury it back like it was before. That’s good, that’s good.” He buried the pot again completely.

(while slowly turning)

He then returned and told his story to the greedy old man next door.

(old man)

“Mister! Mister! Today I saw a place where strange smoke was coming from, and when I dug there I found a pot full of coins.”

(greedy old man)

“That is wonderful! What did you do with it?”

(old man)

“I buried it back up like it was when I found it.”

(greedy old man)

“What?! You didn’t take it?! Why would you want to do a thing like that?”

(old man)

“I had a dream yesterday that shining money came from heaven. Today, it was in the ground. For some reason the story is different.”

(greedy old man)

“You did a really disappointing thing. You should have taken it.”

The greedy old man was very disappointed.

(the greedy old man)

“Alright, then I will go and get it. Even if you say it is different than your dream, because it was not my dream, I don’t mind it if is from heaven or in the ground.”

After saying such, he immediately took his hoe, carrying it on his shoulder, and went to find the pot.

(greedy old man)

“Well, it’s right here, the glittering coins.”

Happily, the greedy old man dug up the pot and removed the lid.

(greedy old man)

“Ah! What is this?!”

Inside the pot now were only snakes, frogs, slugs, and gross bugs.

(greedy old man)

“That old man! He lied to me and deceived me! Well, I will remember this!”

That night, the greedy old man carried the pot and secretly climbed into the honest old man’s attic.

(greedy old man)

“Ah, old man, here is a gift from heaven.” He said in a big voice,  throwing the snakes, frogs, and slugs down below into the old man’s house.

When the honest old man looked up at the ceiling, the snakes, frogs, and slugs became glittering gold coins.

(old man)

“This is the gift from heaven! Thank you! Thank you!”

The honest old man then received a great gift of thanks from the heavens.

Dream Ten

第十夜

Dream Ten
　庄太郎が女に攫われてから七日目の晩にふらりと帰って来て、急に熱が

出てどっと、床に就いていると云って健さんが知らせに来た。

            Ken came and told me that Shotarou had run away with a woman and on the night of the seventh day he aimlessly returned, suddenly having a fever.

　庄太郎は町内一の好男子で、至極善良な正直者である。ただ一つの道楽がある。パナマの帽子を被って、夕方になると水菓子屋の店先へ腰をかけて、往来の女の顔を眺めている。そうしてしきりに感心している。そのほかにはこれと云うほどの特色もない。

            Shotarou was the neighborhood’s most handsome man and he was a very virtuous, honest person. He had just one hobby. He wore a panama hat and when it became night, he would sit at the fruit store’s front and gaze at the faces of women who were coming and going. And often, he admired them. Other than this, he had no other characteristics to say.
　あまり女が通らない時は、往来を見ないで水菓子を見ている。水菓子にはいろいろある。水密桃や、林檎や、枇杷や、バナナを綺麗に籠に盛って、すぐ見舞物に持って行けるように二列に並べてある。

            At the time that few women passed by, without watching the street traffic, he looked at the fruit. There were various kinds of fruit. White peaches, apples, loquats, and bananas were served beautifully in baskets, set up in two rows in order to soon be taken away as gifts.

　 庄太郎はこの籠を見ては奇麗だと云っている。商売をするなら水菓子屋に限ると云っている。そのくせ自分はパナマの帽子を被ってぶらぶら遊んでいる。

            Shotarou would look at these baskets and say they were beautiful. He would say if it is trading, nothing would be better than the fruit shop. Even so, he would war a panama hat and lazily to nothing.
　この色がいいと云って、夏蜜柑などを品評する事もある。けれども、かつて銭を出して水菓子を買った事がない。ただでは無論食わない。色ばかり賞めている。

            He also would comment about oranges and other fruit, saying they had good color. However, he did not once take out a “sen” to buy fruit. He, of course, did not eat free of charge.
　ある夕方一人の女が、不意に店先に立った。身分のある人と見えて立派な服装をしている。その着物の色がひどく庄太郎の気に入った。その上庄太郎は大変女の顔に感心してしまった。そこで大事なパナマの帽子を脱って丁寧に挨拶をしたら、女は籠詰の一番大きいのを指して、これを下さいと云うんで、庄太郎はすぐその籠を取って渡した。すると女はそれをちょっと提げて見て、大変重い事と云った。

            One evening, a woman suddenly appeared at the store front. She was a person of social status and appeared to have elegant garments. That kinomo’s color was severe and it pleased Shotarou. In addition, Shotaou admired her serious face. Accordingly, he removed his panama hat and politely greeted her. She pointed to the biggest basket, asking for it, and Shotarou soon took it and handed over the basket. Thereupon, she held it in her hand a little, saying it was very heavy.
　庄太郎は元来閑人の上に、すこぶる気作な男だから、ではお宅まで持って参りましょうと云って、女といっしょに水菓子屋を出た。それぎり帰って来なかった。

            Shotarou originally had free time and because he was an extremely open-hearted man he said, well then, I will carry it and come to your home. Together with the woman, he left the fruit store. With that, he did not return.
　いかな庄太郎でも、あんまり呑気過ぎる。只事じゃ無かろうと云って、親類や友達が騒ぎ出していると、七日目の晩になって、ふらりと帰って来た。そこで大勢寄ってたかって、庄さんどこへ行っていたんだいと聞くと、庄太郎は電車へ乗って山へ行ったんだと答えた。

            Even though Shotarou was carefree, saying it was trivial for him to be absent, relatives and friends got in an uproar and when it became the night of the seventh day, he aimlessly returned. Then, a crowd had gathered, asking him where he had gone and Shotarou answered that he had gone to the mounts by riding on a train.
　何でもよほど長い電車に違いない。庄太郎の云うところによると、電車を下りるとすぐと原へ出たそうである。非常に広い原で、どこを見廻しても青い草ばかり生えていた。女といっしょに草の上を歩いて行くと、急に絶壁の天辺へ出た。その時女が庄太郎に、ここから飛び込んで御覧なさいと云った。底を覗いて見ると、切岸は見えるが底は見えない。庄太郎はまたパナマの帽子を脱いで再三辞退した。すると女が、もし思い切って飛び込まなければ、豚に舐められますが好うござんすかと聞いた。

            By all means, it was for certain, he was on the train for a long time. According to Shotarou’s story, the train descended and soon he came to a plain. It was an extremely vast plain and where he looked also nothing but green grass grew. He and the woman, together, walked on top of the grass and suddenly came to the edge of a cliff. At the time, the woman told Shotarou to try to jump in from here. He looked down into the bottom and saw the face of the cliff, but could not see the bottom. Shotarou again took off his panama had, declining again and again. Thereupon, the woman asked if he did not boldly jump in, would be like to be licked by a pig.

　庄太郎は豚と雲右衛門が大嫌いだった。けれども命には易えられないと思って、やっぱり飛び込むのを見合せていた。ところへ豚が一匹鼻を鳴らして来た。庄太郎は仕方なしに、持っていた細いびんろう樹の洋杖で、豚の鼻頭を打った。豚はぐうと云いながら、ころりと引っ繰り返って、絶壁の下へ落ちて行った。庄太郎はほっと一と息接いでいるとまた一匹の豚が大きな鼻を庄太郎に擦りつけに来た。庄太郎はやむをえずまた洋杖を振り上げた。豚はぐうと鳴いてまた真逆様に穴の底へ転げ込んだ。するとまた一匹あらわれた。

            Shotarou hated pigs and Kumoemon. However, he thought life is not easy and, of course, refrained from jumping in. Shortly thereafter, a pig came up sniffing. Shotarou, without course, with the areca palm cane he carried, hit the tip of the pig’s nose. While the pig let out a sound of suffering, suddenly toppling over, falling down the precipice. Shotarou let out a breath in relief and again a pig came and rubbed its nose against Shotarou. Shotarou again, reluctantly rose his cane over his head. Thereupon, again a pig appeared.

　この時庄太郎はふと気がついて、向うを見ると、遥の青草原の尽きる辺から幾万匹か数え切れぬ豚が、群をなして一直線に、この絶壁の上に立っている庄太郎を目懸けて鼻を鳴らしてくる。庄太郎は心から恐縮した。けれども仕方がないから、近寄ってくる豚の鼻頭を、一つ一つ丁寧に檳榔樹の洋杖で打っていた。不思議な事に洋杖が鼻へ触りさえすれば豚はころりと谷の底へ落ちて行く。

            This tine Shotarou suddenly realized, turning his face to look. From the area distant to the green grass plain ended, a countless number, tens of thousands of pigs, swarming in a straight light, snorting, right towards him. Shotaro was standing on the top of the cliff. He was sorry from the bottom of his heart, however, it couldn’t be helped because as the pigs drew near, their snouts, one by one, he carefully hit them with his cane. Strangely, just by the can touching the pig’s nose, the pig suddenly fell down to the bottom of the valley.

　覗いて見ると底の見えない絶壁を、逆さになった豚が行列して落ちて行く。自分がこのくらい多くの豚を谷へ落したかと思うと、庄太郎は我ながら怖くなった。けれども豚は続々くる。黒雲に足が生えて、青草を踏み分けるような勢いで無尽蔵に鼻を鳴らしてくる。

            He took a quick look down into the bottomless precipice and a procession of upside down pigs were falling down. He thought to himself that that many pigs fell down into the valley and Shotarou, for him to do such a thing was scary. However, more pigs came one after another. The dark cloud of legs grew, pushing through the green grass like an inexhaustible power supply, noses snorting.
　庄太郎は必死の勇をふるって、豚の鼻頭を七日六晩叩いた。けれども、とうとう精根が尽きて、手が蒟蒻のように弱って、しまいに豚に舐められてしまった。そうして絶壁の上へ倒れた。

            Shotarou showed desperate bravery, struck the end of the pigs’ noses for seven days and six nights. However, at last his energy was used up and his hand weakened like konnyaku and at the end, the pigs licked him completely and he collapsed on the cliff.
　健さんは、庄太郎の話をここまでして、だからあんまり女を見るのは善くないよと云った。自分ももっともだと思った。けれども健さんは庄太郎のパナマの帽子が貰いたいと云っていた。

            Ken told Shotarou’s story up to now, saying it would not be good for the remaining women to see. I thought it quite right. However, Ken said he would like to take Shotarou’s panama hat.
　庄太郎は助かるまい。パナマは健さんのものだろう。

            Shotarou will not survive. It seems the panama hat will be Ken’s.

Natsume Soseki: Ten Nights of Dreams: Dream Six (rough draft translation)

So I've finally found the time to update this and determined what my final thesis paper will be. A translation, of course! Okay so that was a duh, but here's my first chunk done.

第六夜

Dream Six

   運慶が護国寺の山門で仁王を刻んでいると云う評判だから、散歩ながら行って見ると、自分より先にもう大勢集まって、しきりに下馬評をやっていた。

            Because Unkei had a reputation for carving the Nio statue at Gokokuji’s temple’s gate, while on a walk I went to see it. Another crowd had gathered ahead of me, constantly spreading rumors.

　山門の前五六間の所には、大きな赤松があって、その幹が斜めに山門の甍を隠して、遠い青空まで伸びている。

            About 30 or 40 feet before the temple, there was a large Japanese red pine. That tree’s trunk slants to conceal the temple gate’s roof tiles and stretches up to the blue sky.

松の緑と朱塗の門が互いに照り合うってみごとに見える。その上松の位地が好い。門の左の端を眼障にならないように、斜に切って行って、上になるほど幅を広く屋根まで突出しているのが何となく古風である。鎌倉時代とも思われる。

            The pine tree’s greenery and the vermillion lacquered gate together shed light on each other and looked brilliant. So that the edge of the gate cannot obstruct the view, the trunk was cut diagonally and the width on top protruding up to the roof is somehow an old custom. It also seems to be from the Kamakura period.
　ところが見ているものは、みんな自分と同じく、明治の人間である。その中でも車夫が一番多い。辻待をして退屈だから立っているに相違ない。
「大きなもんだなあ」と云っている。

            However, all the sight-seers like me were from the Meiji era. Among them were many rickshaw men. Without a doubt, there were vehicles standing there from boredom. “What a big thing!” They were saying.
「人間を拵えるよりもよっぽど骨が折れるだろう」とも云っている。
　そうかと思うと、「へえ仁王だね。今でも仁王を彫るのかね。へえそうかね。私ゃまた仁王はみんな古いのばかりかと思ってた」と云った男がある。

            “It is probably more difficult to do than a person could make.” They were also saying. When I think so, “Really, it’s Nio. Really? Is that so? Even now, to carve a statue of Nio? I thought all Nio statues were only things of old.” A man said.
「どうも強そうですね。なんだってえますぜ。昔から誰が強いって、仁王ほど強い人あ無いって云いますぜ。何でも日木武尊よりも強いんだってえからね」と話しかけた男もある。この男は尻を端折って、帽子を被らずにいた。よほど無教育な男と見える。

            “It looks also very strong. From old days, who can be that strong? I say, a person as strong as Nio cannot exist. By all means, he is stronger than Yamatodake no Mikoto.” The man also said. The man’s skirt was tucked up and he wore no had. He appeared to be a very uneducated man.
　運慶は見物人の評判には委細頓着なく鑿と槌を動かしている。いっこう振り向きもしない。高い所に乗って、仁王の顔の辺をしきりに彫り抜いて行く。

            Unkei, not concerned about the details of the spectator’s rumors, kept working with his chisel and hammer. Not at all turning to face them. Up on a high spot, he incessantly carved out an area of Nio’s face.
　運慶は頭に小さい烏帽子のようなものを乗せて、素袍だか何だかわからない大きな袖を背中で括っている。その様子がいかにも古くさい。わいわい云ってる見物人とはまるで釣り合が取れないようである。自分はどうして今時分まで運慶が生きているのかなと思った。どうも不思議な事があるものだと考えながら、やはり立って見ていた。

            Unkei wore a small eboshi like hat on his head and I don’t know if it was a suou or what that he wore with its large sleeves tied up together at his back. His appearance was good and old fashioned and out of balance with the noisy crowd. I wondered how Unkei had lived up to now. While I thought it was somehow a miracle, I continued to stand and look at him.
　しかし運慶の方では不思議とも奇体ともとんと感じ得ない様子で一生懸命に彫っている。仰向いてこの態度を眺めていた一人の若い男が、自分の方を振り向いて、
「さすがは運慶だな。眼中に我々なしだ。天下の英雄はただ仁王と我れとあるのみと云う態度だ。天晴れだ」と云って賞め出した。

            However, Unkei was carving with all his effort, appearing unable to sense anything mysterious or strange. A young man who had been looking up at Unkei’s behavior turned to face me, “As one would expect, this is Unkei, He doesn’t consider us. His attitude says that it is just Nio and I. It is splendid!” He praised.
　自分はこの言葉を面白いと思った。それでちょっと若い男の方を見ると、若い男は、すかさず、
「あの鑿と槌の使い方を見たまえ。大自在の妙境に達している」と云った。

            I thought this remark interesting. Therefore, I turned in the exact direction of the young man and without delay he said, “Look at the way he uses that chisel and mallet. He reaches a beautiful place of complete freedom.” 
　運慶は今太い眉を一寸の高さに横へ彫り抜いて、鑿の歯を竪に返すや否や斜すに、上から槌を打ち下ろした。堅い木を一と刻みに削って、厚い木屑が槌の声に応じて飛んだと思ったら、小鼻のおっ開いた怒り鼻の側面がたちまち浮き上がって来た。その刀の入れ方がいかにも無遠慮であった。そうして少しも疑念を挟んでおらんように見えた。

            In just a minute, Unkei had horizontally carved tall, thick eyebrows and no sooner had returned the tooth of the chisel vertical, hitting the hammer from under it. The hard wood was cut and shaved, the thick wood chips thought to jump in response to the hammer’s voice and the flared nostrils at the side of the opened nose at once became visible. The way the chisel entered was also rude and not one doubt seemed to enter him.
「よくああ無造作に鑿を使って、思うような眉や鼻ができるものだな」と自分はあんまり感心したから独言のように言った。するとさっきの若い男が、
「なに、あれは眉や鼻を鑿で作るんじゃない。あの通りの眉や鼻が木の中に埋っているのを、鑿と槌の力で掘り出すまでだ。まるで土の中から石を掘り出すようなものだからけっして間違うはずはない」と云った。

            “He often uses his chisel so casually, able to make the eyebrows and nose he thought of,” I said to myself in admiration. Then, the young man said, “What? He does not make the eyebrows and nose with the chisel. The way the eyebrows and the nose are buried in the wood, he forces them out with the chisel and hammer. As if like he digs stone from inside the earth, he can by no means make a mistake.
　自分はこの時始めて彫刻とはそんなものかと思い出した。はたしてそうなら誰にでもできる事だと思い出した。それで急に自分も仁王が彫ってみたくなったから見物をやめてさっそく家へ帰った。

            I recalled the time he began carving and sure enough I recalled thinking anyone could do it. Thereupon, I suddenly also wanted to try carving a Nio statue so I quit watching and immediately returned home.
　道具箱から鑿と金槌を持ち出して、裏へ出て見ると、せんだっての暴風で倒れた樫を、薪にするつもりで、木挽に挽かせた手頃な奴が、たくさん積んであった。

            I took out my chisel and hammer from my toolbox and went behind the house. In a recent storm an evergreen oak had fallen and from the wood which I had intended to use as fire wood which a handy sawyer and cut up and piled a lot up, I took a piece.
　自分は一番大きいのを選んで、勢いよく彫り始めて見たが、不幸にして、仁王は見当らなかった。その次のにも運悪く掘り当てる事ができなかった。三番目のにも仁王はいなかった。自分は積んである薪を片っ端から彫って見たが、どれもこれも仁王を蔵しているのはなかった。ついに明治の木にはとうてい仁王は埋っていないものだと悟った。それで運慶が今日まで生きている理由もほぼ解った。

            I chose the largest piece and began carving vigorously, but unfortunately Nio could not be found. In the next piece he was unluckily not found either. In the third one, there was also no Nio. I stacked up every last piece of firewood, trying to carve from them and each and every one also did not contain Nio. Finally, I realized that Nio was not buried in any wood from the Meiji Era. And now I understood the reason Unkei existed.

Starting something new here... yet again

So, for my one follower, (HI!) I'm going to start adding something more to this blog. I know, exciting, huh?!

First of all, I'm going to continue with my translations, right now being my major thesis project (hopefully) as I work through it. It's called "I Am a Cat" by Natsume Soseki. It's about the changes in Japan during the westernization and industrialization in the Meiji period via the views of a pretentious house cat. It's a very famous novel and will be rather hard for me, but I welcome the challenge. I will post it here, in pieces as I work through it. I may not get through all of it, but this summer I might do the rest if you are enjoying it :)

Secondly, I've decided that I want to start baking more. I've been working in a dining hall this semester, cutting fruit, which is next to the bakery. It's made me want cookies a lot and I want to try new goodies so I think, if we have the cash, each week I will try a new goodie recipe and bake it. I plan on using my hubby and his coworkers as guinea pigs and to keep me from eating ALL the goodies.

So, that's the plan. I only have two sentences done on the translation so far so I'm going to wait until I have something a little more substantial than that to post!

My sumo paper

大相撲

リア・へニング

私の選んだトピックは日本の大相撲です。このトピックを選んだ理由は時々、アメリカのテレビで大相撲を見るのが好きだからです。しかし、アメリカに大相撲がありません。世界のスポーツの中で大相撲はとても違うと思います。私のパートナーは田中将巳さんという日本の大学生です。今、田中さんは横浜住んでいますが、広島生まれです。卓球と本を読むことテレビゲームは田中さんの興味があります。

田中さんからたくさん大相撲について分かりました。大相撲の試合では勝つための九十一の取り口があるそうです。田中さんによると、土俵の外に相撲とりの足が出れば、この人は試合に負けます。大相撲の生活は相撲とりと所によって違います。二十歳ぐらいから、相撲とりは大相撲を始めます。相撲とりには特別な食べ方があります。田中さんは、「ご飯を食べるときに一般人の３～４倍ぐらいのご飯の量を食べる」と言っていました。一般的に相撲とりは四十歳前に退きます。毎年、大相撲の試合は一月、三月、五月、七月、九月、十月にあって、十五日から五十以上試合があります。大相撲は日本固有の宗教や神道に基づいたので、人気がある日本のスポーツになりました。田中さんによると、今、白鵬という相撲とりは日本で一番人気があります。

アメリカのスポーツとくらべて、日本の大相撲はとても違うと思います。アメリカのスポーツにくらべて、大相撲は歴史的なくて、信仰的なくて、伝統的なスポーツです。

私の研究によると、相撲取りの家は「部屋」そうです。色々な大相撲の部屋が東京にあるようです。部屋で三十人以上の大相撲から三人大相撲があります。相撲とりは部屋に住んで、大相撲のための練習をします。

アメリカのスポーツにくらべて、大相撲はとても違うから、面白いと思います。大相撲は伝統的な日本のスポーツですから、大相撲は日本でとても大切だと思います。

これから、大相撲の取り口について知りたいと思います。将来、で私はもっと大相撲を見たいです（よ）。

Sumo

Leah H.

The topic that I chose is Japan's sumo. The reason that I chose sumo is because sometimes on American TV I like to watch sumo. However, America does not have sumo. I think of all the sports of the world, sumo is very different. My partner (in this project) is a Japanese college student named Mayumi Tanaka. Now, Tanaka-san lives in Yokohama but, she was born in Hiroshima. Tanaka-san's interests are ping pong, reading, and video games.

I learned a lot about sumo from Tanaka-san. I hear that in a sumo match, there are 91 moves the sumo can do in order to win. According to Tanaka-san, if the sumo's foot goes outside of the ring, that person loses the match. A sumo's life is different depending on what place they are in. A sumo begins practicing sumo from age 20. A sumo as a special way of eating. Tanaka-san said that when they eat, they eat 3-4 times the amount a typical person would eat. Typically a sumo will retire before age 40. Every year there are sumo matches in January, March, May, July, September, and October. For 15 days there are 50 or more matches. Because sumo is based in religion or shinto, it has become a popular Japanese sport. According to Tanaka-san, a sumo named Hakuhou is the most popular right now.

Compared to American sports, I think Japan's sumo is very different. Compared to American sports, sumo is a historical, religious, and traditional sport. 

According to my research, a sumo's house, I heard, is called a "heya". It seems there are various sumo heya in Tokyo. In a heya, there are from 30 or more sumo to 3 sumo. Sumo live in the heya and use it in order to practice. 

Compared to American sports, because sumo is very different, I think it is interesting. Because sumo is a traditional Japanese sport, I think sumo is very important. 

After this, I think I would like to know about sumo moves. In the future, I want to watch more sumo!

Ch. 5 Translation... and school registration

日本の高校生は、大学に入るために入学試験にパスしなければならない。そのため、有名な大学に入りたい学生は一生けんめい勉強する。有名な大学に入れば、将来一流の会社などに就職しやすいからである。日本高校では、三年生が一番上が、三年生になると、部活動をやめて勉強ばかりする生徒が増える。毎日学校へ行くのはもちろんだが、授業が終わっても、すぐには家へ帰らず、塾は予備校へ行って勉強する。入学試験にパスし、希望の大学に入れた場所はいいが、試験に落ちた生徒は、もっとやさしい大学に入るか、卒業後一年間浪人する。つまり、一年間予備校などで勉強しながら、次の年の入学試験を持つのである。

Japanese high school students must pass an entrance exam in order to enter college. Hence, students who want to enter famous colleges study very hard. If they enter famous colleges, in the future it will be easy to get a job at a first rate company. In Japanese high schools, third year students are the highest, but when they become third year students the number of students who quit club activities and just study, increases. Every day they go to school of course, but even when class is over they go to cram school or entrance exam school and study without immediately going home. When they pass the college entrance exam they are entered into the college they wish, but the students who fail the entrance exam enter a more easy college or for a year after they graduate, spend a year studying for entrance exams. In other words, while studying at schools designed to help students with entrance exams, they have the following year’s entrance exam.

Haruki Murakami "White Lies" translation

真っ白な嘘

村上春樹

僕は嘘をつくのは得意ではない。でも嘘をつくこと自体はそれほど嫌いではない。変な言い方だけど、つまり「深刻な嘘をつくのは苦手だけど、害のない出鱈目を言うのはけっこう好きだ」ということです。

昔、ある月刊誌で書評を頼まれたことがある。僕は本を書く人間で、批評する人間じゃないから、書評ってできればやりたくないんだけど、そのときは事情があって、「まあいいや、やりましょう」と引き受けた。でも普通どおりにやっても面白くないから、架空の本をでっちあげて、それを詳しく評論することにした。実在しない人の伝記の書評とかね。これはやってみると、なかなか愉快でした。でっちあげをするぶん頭は使うけれど、本を読む時間は節約できる。それに取り上げた本の著者に「あのやろう、ろくでもないことを書きやがって」と個人的に恨まれたりすることもないですしね。

この偽書評を書いたときには、あとで誰かから「ろくでもない嘘をつくな」という苦情の手紙とか、「どこに行けばこの本が手にはいるのか」といった問い合わせが来るんじゃないかと覚悟していたんだけど、一通も来なくて気が抜けたというか、まあそれはそれでほっとした。結局のところ、月刊誌の書評なんて誰も真剣に読んでないんだろうという気もしなくはないんだけれど、どうなんだろうね。

それから、今はわりにまじめに答えているけど、生意気盛りの若い頃は、インタビューでもしばしばいい加減なことを言っていた。どんな本を読んでいるかときかれて、「そうですねえ、最近は明治時代の小説をよく読んでいます。初期言文一致運動に関わったマイナーな作家が好きで、具体的に言うと、牟田口正午(むたぐちしょうご)とか、大坂五兵(おおさかごへい)なんかの作品は、今読んでも刺激的だと思いますよ」とか答えたりしてね。

もちろんどっちの作家も実在しない。完全なでっちあげである。でもそんなこと誰にもわからない。僕はそういう口からでまかせのことをすらすらと並べ立てるのがわりに得意です。得意というか、苦労がないというか。

日本語では「真っ赤な嘘」っていうけど、どうして嘘は赤いのか知っていますか？奈良時代の日本では、悪質な嘘をついて世間を惑わせた人には、赤い大福餅を１２個口に詰め込んで窒息死させるという酷い刑罰があったからです――というのは例によって嘘だ。どうして嘘が赤いのか、昔から気になっていて、いつか調べようと思っていたんだけど、この数十年ずっと忙しくて手がはなせなくて（嘘つけ）まだ調べていない。

英語にはwhite lieという言葉がある。これは「罪のない（方便の、儀礼的な）嘘」のことです（これはほんと）。文字どおり「真っ白な嘘」。僕の嘘はどっちかというとこっちに近い。害はない、と思う。だって赤い大福餅を１２個無理に食べさせられたりしちゃ、たまらないものね。

Lying is not my strength. However, I do not hate lying itself. It is strange to say, but, in other words, I am not good at making serious lies, although I quite like harmless nonsense.

In the past, I was asked by a monthly magazine to write a book review. Because I am a person that writes books, but I am not a critic, so, if possible, I do not want to do book reviews. At that time, there were circumstances, so I accepted saying, “Well and good, I’ll do it.”  However, because doing it as usual was not interesting, I decided to fabricate a fictional book and that criticism would be done in detail. It’s people who don’t exist’s life story’s book review, among other things. I tried this and it was quite pleasant. Although I was able to save the time of reading a book, I used my head to fabricate sentences. Moreover, it is not as if I resent the book’s author saying,  “Doing that, is not a good thing to write.”

After the time this review was written, from no one “That is not a good like at all” type of complaint letters and “Where can I get this book” type of queries did not come. However, I was ready for them, but not one letter came, which I was relieved about. In the end, I no longer cared if no one read it or how it was.

After that, I now answer seriously instead, but in my brazen youth, I often spoke sloppily in interviews. I was asked what kind of books I read, “Ah, recently I often read Meiji Era novels. I like early unification forms influenced minor authors, specifically speaking, the works of Mataguchi Shiyogo and Osaka Gobei, I now have read and I think are also stimulating, I think.”

Of course, which authors are also not real. It is a complete fabrication. However, no one also understood that. Letting things line up naturally from my mouth is good instead. There is no good or bad.

In Japanese it is called a “red lie”, but do you know why the lie a red one?  Because in Nara Period Japan, there was a terrible type of judgment for people who were caught in the world malicious lying, having 12 red rice cakes with bean jam stuffed into their mouths and choking them to death, is a usual example. Why is the lie a red one? The past weighs on my mind and sometime I was thinking of examining it, but in several decades I am still always busy and my hands are tied(telling lies) so I have not yet examined it.

In English it is called a “white lie.” This is a “sinless (justified, courteous) lie” (This is really true). Literally “white lie.”Between the two, my lie is closer to this. It is not harmful, I think. Because being forced to eat 12 red rice cakes with jam is unbearable.